Which to use
“widerfahren” and “widerfährt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,201
- “widerfahren” frequency rank
- #47,857
- “widerfährt” frequency rank
- 72058
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | widerfahren | widerfährt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | (jemandem) geschehen (besonders etwas Unausweichliches, scheinbar vom Schicksal Bestimmtes) | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs widerfahren |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set widerfahren and widerfährt apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. widerfahren ([ˌvidɐˈfaːʁən]) and widerfährt ([ˌvidɐˈfɛːɐ̯t]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 72058, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
widerfahren is recorded at frequency rank #24,201, classified as averb, pronounced [ˌvidɐˈfaːʁən]. widerfährt is at rank #47,857, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˌvidɐˈfɛːɐ̯t].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 72058, this pair ranks #399,038 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of widerfahren vs widerfährt
Shared letters: defhirw. Private to "widerfahren": an. Private to "widerfährt": tä.
"widerfahren" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCVCCVC · "widerfährt" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- widerfahren ← iwderfahren · wdierfahren · widderfahren · widefrahren · widerafhren · widerfahern · widerfahhren · widerfahrenn
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "widerfahren" and "widerfährt" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "widerfahren" or "widerfährt"?
Remembering widerfahren vs widerfährt
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “widerfahren” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable